


The Box

by That_Adorable_Fox



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Depression, Isolation, M/M, Morality | Patton Sanders Angst, Unsympathetic Logan, hurt/barely any comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-07 23:36:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20825690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_Adorable_Fox/pseuds/That_Adorable_Fox
Summary: A long time ago, Logan made a box.This box had pale blue walls and was held in the imagination. This box had four walls, a floor, but no ceiling. This box had no windows, chairs, desks, tables, beds, nothing.This box was lonely.This box was for Patton.





	The Box

A long time ago, Logan made a box.

This box had pale blue walls and was held in the imagination. This box had four walls, a floor, but no ceiling. This box had no windows, chairs, desks, tables, beds, nothing.

This box was lonely.

A long time ago, Logan made this box for Patton. A long time ago, Logan thought that too much emotion wouldn't benefit Thomas, so he would lure Patton into the box and keep him there for hours on end.

Because of this, Patton always has to keep a light on when he's sleeping. Because of this, Patton always needs to keep his door open when he's in his room. Because of this, Patton tries to stay out of enclosed spaces as much as possible. 

Now, Patton still has nightmares where he can't escape from the box, where the others are talking around him and he's screaming, pleading for them to  _ listen  _ to him, but they don't hear him. Now, Patton is scared of oatmeal-raisin cookies and wide grins that are clearly fake but very convincing. Now, Patton won't step into the imagination unless someone, not Logan, is accompanying him.

Thankfully, Patton has control over those overwhelming emotions that used to hinder Thomas when he was trying to work.

That is, until they were diagnosed.

~

Depression. Patton had been feeling it for a long time now, but never brought it up and hid it away from the others when they talked about it. Depression. Patton knew that these new, strong emotions would hinder Thomas like, but worse than, the overwhelming amount of happiness that he had experienced a long time ago.

Patton knew what this meant, and he didn't like it.

~

Logan had wanted to talk with Patton. He invited him into his room, and they talked about lots of things, such as dogs, space, and flowers. Logan was happy, and so was Patton. Or so he thought. 

They were baking now, cookies. Logan had insisted that they bake them for a picnic in the imagination Roman was setting up. Patton had hesitated at the offer of baking the oatmeal-raisin cookies, but Logan had a soft smile on that Patton just  _ couldn't  _ say no to. He wished he had.

~

There was no picnic. There was no stargazing, no puppies, no cookies. There was, however, the box.

He was back. Logan had put Patton back in the box. 

“The depressing emotions were being too much, they were affecting Thomas too negatively.” Logan said as he strolled around the box, successfully ignoring the banging and crying from inside. “ _ You  _ were affecting Thomas too much. Surely, you knew this was going to happen soon, Patton.”

Patton was crying too hard to answer. Yes, he knew. Yes, he knew he was going back in there soon. Then why,  _ why  _ did it surprise him so much? Why didn't he just escape, run away, hide in Roman or Virgil’s room until Logan went away?

“I shall come back for you soon Patton. I trust you'll conjure yourself your own meals and won't need me to bring them to you.”

“L-Logan! Come back pleasewait!DontleavemENOTAGAINLOGAN-!”

~

Three days. Plates full of uneaten food were piled up in the corner, Patton’s cat hoodie had been underneath it all, the gift Logan gave to him feeling hot and scratchy against his soft skin. 

Patton was curled up in the opposite corner, in an upright fetal position with his arms wrapped around his torso. He had been nonstop crying for three days now, and his headache had never been worse. His chest hurt and the need for someone,  _ anyone  _ to come and talk to him, hug him, and tell him they loved him was practically unbearable. The roof had been closed off and the only way Patton knew time had been going by was by a single hole in the ceiling, left there to let him breathe and get fresh air. Depressed thoughts became worse, and eventually crawled out of his mind and into the box, screaming at him from different angles that if he had been better, good enough, a  _ good person  _ that this wouldn't have happened, he wouldn't be here.

More days went by. More plates stacked up in the corner. More tears were shed and more voices joined the cacophony of reasons why  _ Logan  _ was better, why  _ Patton  _ was bad echoed through the box. 

No one came to find him. It wasn't until Patton had passed out from exhaustion and malnutrition that they noticed he was gone. Even then it took them a day and a half.

~

Roman was furious. He had loved Patton from the very moment he set eyes on the moral side, and for his love to get locked away when he needed his friends most? That pissed Roman off. What made Roman more pissed was that Logan didn't think it was a problem. Logan thought it was alright.  _ Logan, the oh-so-clever side. Logan, the logically-solves-all-your-problems side. _

Roman now held a very weak and fragile Patton in his arms, tears dripping from his eyes and steam erupting from his ears.

“How  _ dare  _ you think this is okay.” He snarled, tearing his eyes from his love and up to Logan. “How  _ dare  _ you imprison him for something he cannot control.”

Virgil put a hand on Roman’s shoulder. “Focus on Pat, Roman.”

Roman sighed and glanced down at Patton. “Okay.” He sank out to his room, Virgil in tow, and put the moral side on his bed, wrapping him up in blankets and propping his head up with pillows.

“Virgil, get him something to eat and drink when he wakes up. He’s gonna be starving.”

Virgil nodded and hurried off to the kitchen. When he left, Roman bent down and kissed Patton’s forehead. 

“I’ll protect you, my princess. I promise.”

And now, he waits, and waits, and waits, and waits, for Patton to wake up.


End file.
